Motor-cycle.



PATENTED DEG. zo. 190.4.

No. 778,148.I

l E. ROBION. MOTOR GYGLE., 'I APPLIGATION FILED NOV.24,1903.

No MODEL.

2 SHEETS-SHEET z.

no. We, 14S.

j UNITED STATES Patented VDecember 20, 1904.

- PATENT OFFICE.

l MOTOR-CYCLE.

SPECIFICATIQN' fermiagpert ef Lettere retenue. 778,148, dated December 2o, 1904.

pplication led November Z4, 1903. Serial No.182,496.

TOCLZZ whont t may con/cern.-

Be it' known that I, EMILE RoBIoN, mech anician, a citizen of the Republic of France, and a resident of 42 Rue Eugne Eichenberger, Puteaux, France, have invented certain new `and useful Improvements-in and Connected lrangement of the 'accessory parts for insuring this operation. The motor-cycle is designed with 'the object of 4obtaining'a practical and certain working of and a maximum return from the motor. This improved motor-cycle is shown in the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is ya side View of the cycle as a wholeg-Fig. 2, a section of the means for transmitting the movement of the motor to the driving-Wheelwith gearing and means Vfor changing the'speed. Fig. 3is a detail view of a part of this transmission-gear. Fig. 4 is a front View of a brake arrangement. Fig, 5 is a vertical sectional view through the hub 49, Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a partial detail of the collar 13.

The motor-cycle comprises a frame 1 in a vertical plane, receiving a fork 2, the whole mounted on two wheels 3 and 4.

5 is a petroleum-motor of any suitable'kind.` One of the essential vand characteristic points of the invention consists in arranging this motor on the motor-cycle under such conditions' imparted to the shaft 8 by the motor and reduce the resistance offered by the transmission-gear. With the same object a gearingy for changing thespeed ismounted at 9 for connecting the shafts 7 and 8 in the manner which will be hereinafter indicated with reference to Fig. 2 of the drawings.

The motor 5 is held by tubes or brackets 10, 10"", whichconnect it with the frame 1. The transmission-gear is supported by collars 11. (Shown in Fig.` l.)

The arrangement of the system of speedchanging gearis shown in Fig. 2. The. shaft 7 of the motor carries with it a part 12, and with it an extensible friction-collar 13, which may be brought onto and connectedl with one of the two pulleys 14 and 15. When the collar 13 is connected with the pulley 14, which corresponds to the high speed, a socketory bush 16, carrying said pulley, shares in the movement, and the movement is directly transmitted to the shaft 8, and consequently to the back wheel. When the collar'13 is connected with the pulley 15, which corresponds to a slow speed, the movement is again transmitted to the socket or bush 16 by means of a series of pinions 17, 18, 19, and 20, the latter being keyed directly on the said socket 16 or in connection with it by means of a pawl mechanism. i

The fastening and unfastening of the collar 13 is operated by the manipulation of a handle 30, arranged above the upper tube of the frame 1, Fig. 1, and which by means of a rod- 31 displaces a rod 32, arranged in the center of the shaft 7. This rod is connected by a pin 32 to a small socket 33, mounted on the part 12 and actuating, by means of nipples 41, a forked lever 34, movably pivoted on a fixed shaft 35, the other end of which acts on ak y slide 36, intended to tighten or release the` collar 13. The connection between the latter and the slide 36 may be obtained, for instance, by means of projections 42 in the form of shoulders terminating the two ends of the collar 13 and engaging in a trapezoidal 'mortise 43, formed in the slide 46, Figs. 2 and4 3.`

Under normalconditions the collar 13 is always tightened Vup, owingl to the action of strip-springs 44 on the projections 4 5 of the slide 36. The movement of the"lever 30 by displacing this slide liberates the collar .for eitherl stopping or changing thespeed.

The displacement of the part 12, with its collar 13, is obtained by means of a handle 37, operating a transmission-.lever 38, Fig. 1, act- -ing on a socket 39, surrounding the rod 32 and itself located in the shaft 7. is attached to the part 12 by pins 40. It may be observed that when the part 12 is displaced not only does the collar 13 share in its movement, but also all the means for operating this latter.

In order to allow of the correct regulation of the tightening of the collar, said collar13 is preferably formed of two semicircles having at one of their ends projections 42 and the other ends of which are connected by a rod 46 with right and left handed screw-threads, so as to bring together or separate the constituent parts ,of the collar 13.

It is evident that in order to simplify the apparatus it would be possible to dispense with the speed-changing mechanism, only retaining the mechanism for throwing out of action, and in order to obtain this result it would suffice in the apparatus hereinbefore described to dispense with the pulley 15 and the pinions 17, 18, 19, and 20, the collar in this case remaining constantly opposite the pulley 14.

With the object of obtaining a strictly mechanical mounting of the transmission mechanism hinged joints of special construction are arranged at 21, as shown in Fig. 1. These joints, which are shown in detail in Fig. 2, are formed of two parts 22 and 23, terminating, respectively, the extremities of the shafts to be connected. The part 22 assumes the form of a portion of sphere in which circular grooves 25 are formed, and this sphere engages in a corresponding recess formed in a part 23. The latter is formed of two parts retained by a ring or ferrule 26. The part 23 has circular holes 27, which correspond to the grooves 25, so as to form recesses receiving balls 29, by means of which the movement is transmitted. The application of these spherical joints, which are a kind of Cardan joint, avoids all torsion effects, which are necessarily produced when the transmission-shaft is not exactly in a straight line and in an exact prolongation of the motor-shaft.

The special arrangement of this improved motor-cycle is completed by a brake mechanism operated by a backward movement of the pedals 47. A brake-drum 48 forms an integral part of the hub 49 of the back wheel, (see Fig. 5,) and it is incased by a strip-spring 50, coated internally with the layer of liber or other suitable material. This strip-spring 50 is maintained fixed at its center by a piece 51, mounted on a shaft 52 and terminated by a claw 53, intended to be connected by a screw or bolt with the frame of the motor-cycle. The ends ofthe strip 50 are connected with a series of levers 54, causing the strip 52 to grip the drum 48 when they are drawn by a cable or the like 55. rlhis cable is operated by means of a piece 56, normally loosely mounted on the pedal-shaft 57. A disk 58, arranged in the interior of the ring 56 and having slots This socket l 59, in which balls 60 lodge either when the shaft 57 is stationary or when it is in movement in a direction corresponding to the forward travel of the cycle, as indicated by an arrow a, is keyed on this pedal-shaft. ,l f, on the contrary, a movement in a reverse direction be given to the shaft 57-namely, in the direction indicated by the arrow Fig. 4- the balls 6() jam between the disk 58 and the ring 56, which only has partial recesses, as shown in the drawings, and thus the part 56 shares in the movement, together with its arm 5S, which pulls the cable and causes an application of the brake to the back wheel. ln returning to a position of repose the stripspring 5() returns all the internnaliary parts into their original position.

As shown in Fig. 1, the frame is in a vertical plane of the usual bicycle constructirni composed of a pair of horizontal members m, extending from the rear hub to the crankhanger t, an inclined member 1M, extending from the crank-hanger to the steering-head a, andthe other usual horizontal and inclined stays of a frame. A short member 10% extends forward from the crank-hanger and is attached to the inotor-casing, the clutch-casing g being' clamped to and depending from said member 10%.

I claim as my invention 1. A motor-cycle having a frame in a vertical plane, a driving-shaft, a motor-shaft,l)oth shafts parallel to the plane of the frame, a motor suspended from said frame having its shaft connected with the driving-shaft and spherical joints for said shaft.

2. A motor-cycle, having a frame in a vertical plane, a motor suspendedtherefrom with its shaft parallel with the plane of the frame, asecond shaft in line with the iirstand geared to the driving-wheel and mechanism adapted to connect or disconnect the two shafts.

3. A motor-cycle, having a frame in a vertical plaue, a motor suspended therefrom with its shaft parallel with the plane of the frame, a second shaft in line with the iii-stand geared to thedriving-wheel and mechanism adapted to connect or disconnect the two shafts, in combination with spherical joints in said shafts, whereby torsional effects lnay he prevented.

4. A motor-cycle, having aframe in avertical plane, brackets 10, a motor supported thereby, a driving-wheel, a gear-casing bctween the motor and wheel, a motor-shaft and a driving-shaft parallel tothe plane of the frame, geared to the wheel and passing through the casing and means within the casing for coupling' and uncoupling` said shafts.

5. A vehicle having a vertical frame, a horizontal member and a continuation thereof in a line inelining upward and forward of said horizontal member, a driving-wheel mounted in said member, a driving-shaft parallel therewith and extending beyond the point at which IOO ISO

in said member, a driving-shaft parallel therel with and extending beyond the pointat which the inclined continuation meets said member, a motor having its shaft in line with aforesaid shaft, said motor-being attached to the inclined Y member and depending therefrom in combination with spherical joints and a clutch for said shaft between motor and driving-wheel.

7 Avehiclehaving a vertical frame, a horizontal member and a continuation thereof in a line inclining lupward and forward of said horizontal member, a driving-wheel mounted in said member, a driving-shaftparallel therewith and below said horizontal member and extending beyond the point at which the inclined continuation meets said member, amotor having its shaft in line with aforesaid shaft, said motor being attached to the inclined member and'ldepending therefrom.

8. A vehiclehaving a vertical frame, ahorizontal member and a continuation thereof in aline inclining upward and forward of said horizontal member, a driving-wheel mounted in said member, a driving-shaft parallel therewith and extending beyond the point at which the inclined continuation meets said member, a motor having its shaft in line with aforesaid shaft, said motor being attached to the inclined member and depending therefrom in combif nation with a short member forming a continuation of said horizontal member and attached to the suspended motor. 40

9. A vehiclehavinga vertical frame, a horizontal member and a continuation thereof in a line inclining upward and forward of said horizontal member, a driving-wheel mounted in said member, adriving-shaft parallel therewith and extending beyond the point at which the inclined continuation meets said member, a motor having its shaft in line with aforesaid shaft, said motor being attached to the inclined member and depending therefrom in combination with a short member forming a continuation of said horizontal member attached to the motor and a clutch-casing suspended from said short member and a clutch therefor to act between the motor and parallel shaft.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EMILE ROBION. 

